Final Fantasy: Summoner's Return
by atmodal
Summary: Yuna and her former guardians have been beset by a great danger to Spira again. Rikku is mysteriously missing, Tidus and Yuna have enjoyed a peaceful life for five years blind to what was inevitable, and Paine finds herself following in the footsteps of Spira's most legendary guardian. (Post FF X-2 Perfect Ending, alternate continuation instead of the novella & audio drama)
1. 1 - Yuna

_Quick author's note:_

Hello, Final Fantasy fans! After being immersed in the wonderful world of Spira for years, the inspiration to write this came from the absolute shock I was in when reading what happened in the Japanese novella and the audio drama. It really seemed to me like all integrity for the world and its characters was lost on the original creators. When I found out I was not alone in my astonishment, I decided to write what I feel was not only a more realistic continuation in the chronicles of Spira, but also a means to tie up loose ends in some lore-related details that never got a concrete explanation in the actual games. _Disclaimer:_ All rights still belong to Square Enix for these characters and the world of Spira, and I never intend to sell this fiction in any way.

TL:DR: The goal of this story is to be as canon as possible, as what I feel is a more enjoyable and believable alternative to what was described in the final audio drama. Enjoy!

* * *

A light drizzle fell upon Yuna during the daily walk along the white sandy beach outside of her home. She always had trouble keeping her waist-length hair neat as it was—she hadn't cut it in five years, since her beloved returned to Spira. After settling down with him, with the world at peace, she stopped caring about much else. She trudged through the wet sand in bare feet and patted her white robes dry.

It was almost Yuna's favorite time of year—the end of blitzball season, when her husband would return to her on the isle of Besaid. The rest of the village always left before the tournament would begin, in support of their championship-reigning Aurochs, but Yuna always stayed behind. Whenever she left home, she still attracted crowds. Even though her beloved Tidus had led the Aurochs to four straight blitzball championships, the real attraction from the isle of Besaid was the former lady summoner Yuna. Since declaring herself an independent Yevoner to free herself from party politics and attention, some of the attention died down. Most important, it was the seclusion from all outside influence she craved. Hers was a lifestyle full of meditation and prayer, along with crafting and songwriting, and peaceful time spent with her husband and friends.

Eventually her walk led her to the shelter of the Besaid temple beneath the palms, where she spent much of her recent days. A spot of candlelight beneath the statues of the ancient summoners made motes of dust glitter in the air. Scorch marks marred the walls, the floors and ceiling still from when she battled to save the temple from the dark aeons five years ago. The once-bright murals lay faded, ashen and dusty. Whenever someone suggested refurbishing the sacred place, Yuna always told them to leave the temple as it was, to preserve all of its memories, good and bad.

Finally, she reached her quaint little home on a ledge overlooking the shore, and smiled at it. She did this every day before opening the door; this was a home for them that Tidus had put up with his own hands three years ago, priding himself on it by saying 'My old man always told me I'd never build my own home!'.

Having experienced so much chaos, tragedy and uncertainty in her early years, Yuna savored the comfort, despite what others thought. She tucked herself beneath the covers on the bed, blew out the candle light and laid down for the night. The grey sky and slight pattering of rain eased her into a gentle sleep; she thought about tomorrow, the day she would see the Aurochs on the horizon of the far shore, returning triumphantly off the boat from Luca.

The dream came to her vividly then: she was kneeling to the ground in darkness. She was alone, and the only light was a small pyrefly ten paces in front of her. _Where is this?_ The ground was dirt, the air was cold. It was not like anywhere she had seen in the Farplane. She dared not move or speak.

Yuna then heard Tidus' screaming in the distance. She knew his voice perfectly, there was no mistaking it; she lifted herself up immediately and ran in the direction of the echoes, away from the light of the spirit. It became pitch black soon and she couldn't see the hands in front of her face. The pyrefly then shone in front of her face and at her feet she saw Tidus, crawling, gripping her bare foot with a weakened hand. The wisp shone little upon the assailant, merely the silhouette of a hooded figure attacking her fallen husband. She screamed, and lunged to hit the shadow.

She woke up with a rush, having fallen out of her bed.

"Yuna!" whispered a voice she recognized. Her nightmare was quickly consoled when she saw who was leaning to help pick her up. It was her dear old friend Paine, whose face was dirty from long travel. Her black cloak was ragged and torn, and hair had been flattened by the rain, but she channeled all of her concern toward Yuna. "Are you okay?"

"Oh my," Yuna said, flustered. Happily surprised, she clutched Paine's arms tightly. "Yes, I am fine, just let me just recover. Paine, is that really you? I barely recognize you."

"You don't recognize me? Look who's talking. I was waiting outside," Paine paused uneasily, her words still as tense as Yuna remembered. "Well, I heard you scream so I hurried inside."

"Goodness Paine, its raining, you could have just come in." Yuna shuffled around to hand some towels to Paine. "Its been so many years, old friend; How are you?"

"I'm fine, its great to see you Yuna," Paine wiped her face clean. She smiled at first, masking her concern. "But..."

"But?"

"Are you having nightmares?" Paine changed the subject.

"Paine, I'm happy to see you, its true, but I'm no good with idle chatting. What brings you here?"

"Of course. Its about that rain. Come outside."

Yuna followed her former companion outside to see the early morning, where the drizzle had not subsided, but hadn't grown worse either. The sky was a mass blanket of grey as far as she could see. Paine plodded her leather boots into the low tide and prompted Yuna to look high in the sky to the west.

"Over there."

"A storm," Yuna replied.

"More precisely, the eye of the storm," Paine explained. "Gippal and I—we checked out that storm before it got this close to Spira. Well, I work with the Al Bhed now, and we were all curious. Something unnatural was brewing, something that none of the machina could measure properly, and we thought it was something just distorting our sensors. Some weird magic, maybe from Baaj temple right? Four months ago that squall wrecked my airship and has only grown bigger since."

Paine paused and sighed before continuing, but Yuna didn't respond.

"We were told later by the experts its not in conditions where a proper tropical storm could form."

Yuna swallowed nervously and felt her hands shaking already. "You don't know that."

"Yuna, we both know what it is."

"Don't say it."

Paine closed her eyes.

Clenched fists at her side, Yuna's head lowered and a tear trickled down her cheek. "Sin."

Paine put a hand on her old friend's shoulder in comfort. Yuna didn't speak, fighting more tears. _If its true, why? Spira had been made great in such a short time. What was so wrong with peace? Hasn't Spira seen enough anguish and suffering?_

Yuna steeled herself, folding her arms, trying to quiet the screams of denial and pain that came from the back of her mind. There was a pattern in these constant disasters. She often saw the patterns in things—in this case, she could never possess any happiness for too long. Something was always there to snatch the good times away. She set her jaw against the urge to cry. "It can't be."

"I understand its difficult to believe." Paine always spoke with uncertainty and nervousness in her tone, as if she were constantly forced into saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

She seemed so earnest that Yuna found herself wavering. "Thank you for coming to me," Yuna said dryly. "You mentioned Gippal—where is he?"

"Bikanel. Recovering... though he should be on his way to Bevelle with Cid by now. He would have died if I hadn't helped him out of the wreckage, but that stubborn Gippal... his pride was hurt more than anything. Don't worry, we agreed not to tell anyone until we consulted with you, which is why I'm here. Only a few of the Al Bhed know, and they're not eager to tell or take action without your blessing."

Yuna heard Cid had been made a member of the Spiran Council years ago, giving the Al Bhed a strong voice in Spiran politics. Her uncle was a stern man who rarely took no for an answer; and, usually, he never blindly believed in something. Cid was a man who always went with what he was sure about. "Is Rikku with you?" Yuna asked.

"No."

"I see."

"I know, I am worried." Wind gusted then, hoisting the ragged frills of Paine's coat along. She stood in front of Yuna, gripping her shoulders firmly and gazing straight into her eyes. "You know I'm with you, Yuna, whatever happens."


	2. 2 - Lulu

Under an ashen sky the _S.S. Winno_ drifted into the northern docks of Besaid. Lulu could hear the victory bells chiming in the wind already, resonating with the jolly voices. Vidina pulled himself out of the straw from his nap and jumped excitedly. "Mom, look! We're home!"

"Yes, dear," Lulu said. Her dark braids waved with her cloak in the wind and she couldn't help but smile. It was good to return home after another successful blitzball tournament; for one, she wouldn't have to hand-hold her five-year-old son through the mass crowds of Luca stadium for another year.

The sailors rushed about. The _S.S. Winno_ was a narrow, single-masted vessel, barely large enough for the crew and the blitzball team, not to mention the chocobos running it below.

Some of the villagers came to the north shore to wave and call greeting to them. The Aurochs had brought home their fifth championship, and Tidus, jovial and outspoken as always, shouted back every year, hoisting the trophy over his head. Even Lulu found it difficult to resist his contagious liveliness. Ever since Tidus had returned, blitzball became a way of life again, and it had given her husband and son endless positive energy. Still, she composed herself to remain reserved and statuesque, dressed immaculately in silver and black. Her dress buttoned up the sides and had a high fur collar to protect against the breeze.

"Aurochs win, aurochs win!" Vidina re-enacted the commentary of the match, stomping around and hurried off the boat to catch up with the blitzball team.

"Hurry home," Lulu shouted after him. "Its going to rain any minute." Lulu stood and pulled her cloak over her shoulders. In the line moving off the boat she found her husband, with his unmissable ridiculous orange hair. She stood on her toes to kiss him on the cheek and clasped her hand in his. When he was worried, he didn't hide it well.

"Hey Lu," he said, looking behind the crowd. "Look who came out to greet us."

Yuna was watching the victory party approach from afar, though clearly not wanting to mingle with the cheerful crowd. "That is strange."

"Good to see her get out of that house now, maybe she's in a better mood, ya?"

Lulu wanted to believe that also, but she knew better. "Something is bothering her."

"Ah, you women are the same every year! Its always something tense or worrisome with you guys. Ease up, the old Aurochs are champions again, ya?"

Lulu punched his rock-solid arm with her free hand, causing him to wince. "Look. Someone is with her." She proceeded to observe Yuna and her hooded companion from afar; Yuna was watching Tidus say his goodbyes and passing the trophy to his teammates. She didn't smile as he approached her with open arms. They embraced and began conversation that she couldn't hear over the cheering ruckus.

As the line thinned and funneled through, Lulu and Wakka stepped off the dock holding hands, moving toward Yuna. She didn't even seem to notice them until they were real close, and she bowed formally.

Tidus smiled at them. "Hey guys, that was a bumpy trip back, right?"

Yuna spoke up. "Welcome back everyone. You all remember Paine, right?"

Paine stepped forward, unhooded herself and shook everyone's hand, barely smiling.

"Gullwing, right?" Tidus smiled. "Yuna always had a lot to say about you. All good things, though!"

"Why you standin' out here Yuna?" said Wakka. "And you's all wet, too! But, we're all glad to see you all the same! Hey Paine, where's Rikku? Ain't she wi'chew? How did you get here anyway?"

"Little boat from Kilika. I don't have my airship anymore. Rikku ran off on her own adventures some time ago, and no one has heard from her in a long time—not that no one has been looking."

"I don't want to spoil your victory, really," Yuna said. "But some important business has come up, not just about Rikku. I want all of us to talk. But later, in private."

 _Something that can only be spoken about within our company cannot be good._ Lulu speculated many things it could be pertaining to their personal history. Those events were best left in their memory; every one of them knew that no one else would ever understand. _Odd that Yuna trusts Paine well enough, after five years, even though they were close companions. We will all still need to be cautious._

"Sure thing," Lulu said, watching Paine suspiciously. "We'll stop by tonight. Wakka will make sure the partying has died down soon."

* * *

It was a silent, uneasy group Lulu and Wakka found by the fireside on the beach that night. The brisk blaze crackled before them, and Tidus was sprawled out in the sand in front of Yuna, his head upon her lap. Paine sat off to the side, staring at the sea. Her face was closed and worried, constantly wiping her hands on her coat. _We're all together again, whats left of Yuna's friends and guardians. What I wouldn't give to have Auron and his wisdom with us again._

Yuna was so entranced in the quiet that she didn't notice Lulu and Wakka's approach until they sat directly in front of her. Lulu said nothing, and instead gave the time for Yuna to speak. "My dear friends," Yuna said. "Lulu, Wakka, Tidus, Paine."

"Yes, Paine," Wakka boomed. "Yuna always spoke of you a great deal, but you were never that talkative when you came around here."

Yuna struggled to speak firmly, but couldn't hold the bad news a minute longer. "Paine was attacked, by what she believes was Sin."

"Say again?" Tidus sat up, echoing everyone else's thoughts.

 _Was it truly Sin?_ Lulu couldn't believe it. She took part in the destruction of Sin and Yu Yevon seven years ago. She didn't rule out the possibility, but she was very skeptical.

"Its that storm," Paine said pointing to the sky in the west. "Wrecked my ship, almost killed Gippal and I."

"But how do you know its Sin?" Lulu demanded confirmation.

"You've seen the Sinspawn, right?"

Everyone became silent. Yuna's face showed little shock, as if possibly she were expecting this day to come. Tidus was confused, but Wakka was more than beside himself.

"No way!" Wakka stood. "You've got a lot of nerve, coming in here, out of the blue with all these stories! We ended that a long time ago. Sin is gone, ya? Never will come back! We made sure of that!"

"How, may I ask, did you end it?" Paine said. "You all were there together, right? I mean, no one else saw it."

"You little..." Wakka started, but was stopped by Lulu clutching at his arm.

"She has a right to know, Wakka," said Yuna. "Its been long enough. With Rikku gone as well, it really makes me worried. If this really is something that needs to be dealt with again, we can't hide it anymore. If we don't tell anyone, we would be no better than the maesters who hid the truth from us."

"Are you sure thats wise?" Lulu commented.

"Hey, Paine, tell me something," Tidus said. He stepped to her, looking her in the eye. "When you look at me, what do you see?"

"Yuna's best friend," she said.

"Yes, but what do you _see_? Whats different about me than her other guardians?"

"Well, there's a lot I don't know about you. Yuna dedicated everything to find you when we were with the Gullwings, but never told me where you're from, or anything else, except you being the mega blitzball star. And she was right, you do look an awful lot like Shuyin—is this about him, or something?"

"No, no, one more time, what do you see remarkable? Whats different?"

"His body hasn't aged," Lulu clarified. When the idea hit Paine, she looked shocked not to have figured it out sooner. Lulu continued: "His hair is always the same length, his complexion, his muscles, his entire body never changes. We have to age and survive, but he is always the same. Would you be shocked to know Spira's greatest blitzball player never has to work out, or even to eat?"

Paine looked at Yuna and back at Tidus, completely bewildered. Yuna nodded, biting her lip; Paine touched Tidus' as if he were no longer a person, but rather a statue or figurine now. "You feel real enough."

Tidus sighed but smiled as if this were the moment he had been waiting for. "I'm just a summoning of the fayth. If Sin is back, it probably has something to do with me."

"Don't say that!" Yuna snapped. "You've been with us for five years and everything was great!"

"Yuna's right," Wakka chimed in again. "Everything has been fine, why would it change now?"

"I'm sorry," Tidus said. "But if she really came near Sin, she should know. Way back then, we killed the ancient summoner who controlled Sin. Only the highest ranking maesters knew about Yu Yevon and hid that truth from everyone. Yu Yevon was the summoner who controlled the fayth that were keeping me... well, alive."

They were silent for a time. _Its how Tidus came back to us, thats what we don't know. Yuna does know something._

Paine held her chin low. "And so now you're here, again, meaning not everything has changed. There were a lot of stories about what you did, Yuna, but I never pried for the truth. I had no idea..."

"Its all right," Yuna said comfortingly. "For now, lets all try and sleep tonight. If anything, I think this is a sign that it is time for me to leave Besaid. Everyone, I will be going with Paine to Bevelle to meet with the Spiran Council and come up with a plan of action."

Lulu stared at her, unable to say a word, even to ask Paine more about what happened. Perhaps tomorrow she would ask. It wasn't that she doubted the authenticity of the ordeal, but there was much more of her story to be told. Lulu was also not sure how much of their past Paine was meant to hear, and was still gauging her trust. The other two were just as tongue-tied, Wakka shaking his head in pain.

"Later we will talk more," Lulu said, and all of them gave a little nod as if waking up. "The shock hasn't completely set in, even for me."

Yuna moved away from them, along the shore, appearing to glide along the beach rather than walk, her long skirt waving around her legs in the wind like wings.

As Wakka caught up with Tidus to speak, and Paine moved away on her own watching the sky, Lulu moved behind Yuna. Yuna was quiet, but she knew who was there without even turning around.

"Answer me truthfully, Yuna," Lulu said when the others were out of earshot. "What happened five years ago? Why was it that Tidus appeared when Shuyin was sent?"

Yuna didn't answer immediately. It was hard to pinpoint what she lied about anymore. It was always the same answer whenever anyone brought up the subject: "I don't know."

"You're crying."

"I've been crying all day."

"Its time to tell me what you know."

Yuna sighed. "It was five years ago in the Farplane. The fayth approached me and asked if I wanted to see him again."

"You said yes."

Yuna turned around and snapped loudly. "I left behind everyone and everything to find him! You wanted to see him too. And you know... without him, and Sir Jecht, we never would have thought to achieve what we did against Sin. I still refuse to believe that his soul is just one to be locked away only in our memories." The others noticed Yuna's unrest from a distance but didn't seem to hear her words exactly.

Lulu had appropriated a great fondness for Tidus. She couldn't deny it. There was a great irony in how the boy she first met not knowing a shred of culture seemed like a naive fool. Yet, after his sacrifice for Spira, how could she not look at him as a superior guardian? His detachment from the temple ultimately turned out to be his greatest strength. How could she not learn from his untainted heart and true love for Yuna? _Why didn't he deserve to live amongst us and spread good cheer?_ The paradox constantly puzzled Lulu, so she couldn't even fathom how Yuna felt.

"It only begs the question, how long can he stay?" Lulu said coldly, walking away. "Don't leave for Bevelle without Wakka and I. We will be proud to join you, as your guardians once again. You don't know how many people in Bevelle we can trust anymore."

"You can't just leave Vidina."

Lulu cut her off with a wave of her hand. "Don't you worry. If this concerns Sin, it is something we all need to personally see through to the end."


	3. 3 - Paine

Paine threw her blade.

Wielding the celestial weapon was about more than just practicing stances and growing accustomed to the motions. A master of the blade learned to do more with it. She would need to command it and summon it on a whim. She learned that the knight and the sword were, in many ways, one. The blade needed to become part of her soul.

Paine had learned to control her blade in such a way—usually. Today, the weapon's massive weight was difficult to handle under her stress. She kept moving slowly and losing balance in the sand. The massive blade was nearly as tall as her, its edges carved symmetrically in lavish curves. The runes inscribed on the fuller were an ancient text, reminiscent of a primitive time long before machina or summoners. Paine growled in frustration, pacing back and forth on the plateau, hand at her side constantly resheathing her weapon. Getting the form just perfect with such a heavy weapon was tiring.

She wore her plate under her cloak, too, without a helm so her silver hair blew free in the morning breeze. Her head still ached when she thought of the disaster that happened at sea. She lost her airship and almost her partner; she could not afford such a careless tragedy to happen again if she was with Yuna.

"Where did you find that?" the brutish, square-jawed Wakka said, startling her. She was jumpy, having stayed up all night, sitting on the beach in view of Yuna's home, wearing her armor, arms crossed on her knees, pondering her recent failures.

"Cid gave it to me. It was Auron's right?"

"Masamune," Wakka confirmed, looking at the blade with nostalgic awe. "Legendary guardian, that Auron. No way we would have done what we did without him, ya? Well, I suppose I should be glad that old scoundrel Cid hadn't pawned this off to some kid punks who wouldn't appreciate it!"

Paine shook the dew that had condensed onto the metal, then lay it out flat on her palms for Wakka to admire clearly.

"Yeah, thats it alright. No other craft like that. I'm sure you'll do old Auron proud with it."

"Thanks."

"Hey look," Wakka scratched the back of his neck nervously. "I'm sorry about yesterday, okay? You're not so bad, ya? We're more than just a little overprotective of Yuna these days. But I know you had her back too once upon a time and I don't think you'd go around lying about something like Sin."

"Its okay." Paine walked to the edge of the small rocky cliff, staring out over the expanse of great ocean. A huddle of three men watched her from the shore below. Laughable. What would three _blitzball_ players do if Sin returned?

"Well I just came to tell you Yuna's out and awake. I think she's saying her goodbyes, and we'll all be leaving to Kilika tonight. We gotta catch that boat when it goes back. Here we had just gotten back too..." his voice faded while he walked away and Paine focused on her thoughts.

Lulu had said that Tidus was not a real person, but a sort of aeon, but there was still something strange about him. He looked suspiciously like Shuyin; though instead of being decidedly hateful at everything, he was always smiling. And if he was a summon, who was his summoner? Was it Yuna?  
She was also acting strange, in ways Paine couldn't put to words. Her guardians were just doing their duty, so there was no use in getting angry at them. But Paine couldn't shake the feeling something greater was going on with this group that supposedly defeated Sin seven years ago, whether Yuna knew it herself or not. And now, wielding one of the legendary Auron's old weapons, fate was trying to make her one of them. Even still, Paine felt like an outsider among them.

Paine gripped the hilt of Masamune tightly in her fingers again. She always felt a great strength when holding it. Even stranded at sea and surrounded by Sinspawn, certain she was going to die, she'd still felt power with this weapon.

Where was that feeling now?

She spun and threw the weapon, focusing as Gippal had taught her, sending a direct instruction to the blade, imagining the destruction she wanted to imbue. It held true, spinning end over end out of her hand, flashing in the air and soaring over Wakka's head. It had nearly cut that ridiculous spike of hair sculpted over his forehead. Paine let out the breath she had been holding. Finally, she achieved the technique she wanted.

"Hey, watch what you're doing, ya? You trying to kill me out here?"

"Lets go," Paine brushed past him with a slight smirk, picking up the sword and fastening it in its sheath on her back.

Paine entered Besaid temple at midday. Ducking into the shadowy interior as like entering a cave. She glanced around the perimeter of the inside where a few people were usually in meditation. They were all outside, celebrating the blitzball win, except one person. Paine stepped along the dusty marble flooring, under the shadows of the side of the room to the back of the chamber where Tidus lay.

 _Poor guy,_ Paine thought. _I arrived and completely ruined their victory celebrations. How could it feel to exist attached to a world where you aren't real?_ He had disappeared once and been allowed back by some miracle, but so far no one noticed anything suspicious about him. Practically the entire world just knew him as Yuna's husband, a wild, jovial guy from Besaid who was once her guardian and happened to be really good at blitzball.

Wakka came in behind Paine to see Tidus, then snorted to himself in amusement. He'd likely known about Tidus' secret as long as Yuna; those two guys were like best friends.

The more Paine heard about Tidus the more she wanted to know about him. Outside of the blitzball games, kids and fans went out of their way to try and get a peek at him. Everyone wanted to know more about the guy who settled down and married high summoner Yuna, and dominated the blitzball scene in Spira. It made sense why the guardians in Besaid also kept Tidus as far from prying eyes as possible. Everyone speculated what wild practice routines he must go through, and what amazing power he must have had to travel with Yuna. Here was the great Tidus, curled up in the shadows of a musty temple so no one could see him.

"Hey there," Paine called to him. She kneeled beside him in his wet, tousled clothes.

Wakka entered and sat at Tidus' feet.

"Is he alright?" Paine asked.

Wakka spoke quietly. "He just likes to think sometimes. Never used to. Its like daydreaming. He liked to think about his old Zanarkand. One time, I heard him mumble about spirits, thrashing and telling them to keep away. He opened his eyes. He didn't seem to see me, but he saw _something_ alright."

 _Pyreflies?_ Paine thought, feeling a chill.

"Here's the thing," Wakka said. "Something we always talk about. Spira's got nothing left to believe in. Everything we thought we knew about the world is still unknown to us, ya? So we find that all this Yevon teachings and scriptures was all for nothing. Then who's responsible for creating all this? The fayth, the summonings, and the Farplane—sometimes I sit and think where it all comes from. Even he thinks about it too."

Paine didn't have the time to worry about all of that."Things don't need a reason for existing. They just do, and we make the most of it."

Wakka stood, chuckling. "Rikku told me something like that before. I know that kind of thinking works for some people, but not me. I want to believe that there is something waiting for our souls and that we don't just stop existing. I feel that if anyone in this world is closest to that answer, its him." He sighed and stood, leaving the temple with slumped shoulders.

Paine watched Tidus for a long while, trying to gather her thoughts and emotions. "Why now?" she whispered. "What is it out there? After you've been here with Yuna all of these years, whats changed?"

Of course, Paine was ahead of herself. She didn't know for certain Tidus' existence here had anything to do with that mass of power out there over the ocean. She only had assumptions and hopes like the rest. No, not hopes— _fears. How would Spira react to the return of Sin?_ Paine hadn't considered the possibility that if they approached the Spiran Council that rumors could be started. Everyone might think that Yuna's claim of the Eternal Calm was fraudulent.

"I hear you were quite close with Auron," Paine said, setting the Masamune blade down next to the sleeping Tidus. _They keep endlessly praising Auron's wisdom—so what would he do?_

"Anyway, I know what its like to feel like an outcast. To be part of a group where you feel like you don't belong—its all I've ever been. Crimson Squad, Gullwings, and with you guys. Yuna has only known me for a little while by comparison. It makes me want to be alone, but then when I am alone, I can't stand it."

"I feel exactly the same way," Tidus said out of the quiet, startling her. Paine had been speaking with the air, not actually expecting him to respond.

"How long have you been listening?"

"I heard Wakka leave and was waiting for you too also," he laughed, sitting up. "But here you are."

Tidus' chipper attitude was contagious; Paine smiled. "You're not all that bad. Its stupid, but," she paused. "I used to hate you because Yuna was so into you. She risked everything in her life to find you back then. I couldn't figure out why."

"To tell you the truth," Tidus stood and stretched. "I don't know why either!"

"What a typical, pathetic response. Its totally something Gippal would say."

"Gippal? The Al Bhed guy?"

"The one and only."

"Oh, so _he's_ your boyfriend!"

Paine stopped, stuttered and almost blushed, chagrined at the remark. _Why would he say something like that?_ She fumbled to pick up her sword and straighten her coat when she turned her back to leave. "I'm going to go find Yuna."

"Hey what did I say?" he persisted. "I can't wait to meet him."

She marched out of the temple indignantly. _Just keep walking. Stare straight ahead, maybe he'll get the idea and won't follow me._

"Hey!" Tidus yelled, stepping after her. She sighed. "Yuna told me we're going to see Gippal in Bevelle. He'll be happy to be re-acquianted with you, then!"

Pained turned around with a clenched fist. "Did Yuna also tell you my fist can get re-acquainted with your nose?"

Tidus continued gallivanting around her. "Hey, don't be like that. Sheesh, are you sure all you got was Auron's old sword? I think someone gave you his good manners too!"  
"Did I say I used to hate you? I think I still do."

He blinked in surprise, but continued following while she pretended to know where she was going. _Didn't this guy ever give up?_

"Hey, Paine?" Tidus continued. "Why is it you came to Yuna first? I mean, she hasn't practiced magic or summoning in years. Why is it you want Yuna to do this so much when there are so many others out there practicing new magic right now? I mean, she's popular with the people, but the Spiran Council wants nothing to do with her. Thats why she stays here, you know, to not get involved in all of that anymore."

"We consider their disdain for her a refreshing sign. She's stopped Sin and Vegnagun. She knows what it takes."

At this subject, Tidus stopped smiling. He was the most tense she'd ever seen him when he was talking about protecting Yuna. "She rejected supporting anyone," he said. "Since then, they still only see her as some kind of a heretic who could threaten the order."

"She refused to be strung along with the system that promoted lies perpetuated by the old maesters. She's free from them, and open to take any action she needs to."

Tidus snorted and his tone changed instantly. "You and Auron really would have made a pair! I think whenever I start to miss him, I'm just going to talk to you."

"You should go now," Paine said, nodding toward the gathering of the uniformed Aurochs in front of them. "Blitzball practice?"

"Eh, I'll go give them one last Jecht shot before I go! Oh yeah, and Paine? I know you said you've never gotten too attached to groups. But I really think you should ask Yuna to officially become her guardian, like one of us. Thats just what I think, anyway. She's not a summoner anymore, but we all still live and work hard to protect her, so in our own way, we're always her guardians." Tidus finally sprinted off, kicking up wet sand behind him and striking the blitzball the Aurochs threw at him with an acrobatic whirling kick. "Just think about it, alright?" he called back with an insufferable smirk.


	4. 4 - Lulu

Lulu sat on her favorite box on the ship's deck again, the wind still bludgeoning the side of her face. She wore her favorite buttoned cloak over her dress. The silk hugged her body tightly, particularly through the bust, and judging how the sailors still always gawked at her, the garment wasn't unflattering. Lulu pretended not to notice them, and watched the grey clouds fade slowly as the ship gradually sailed east.

Last night she dug out her old cactuar doll from its hiding space in storage and had attempted re-learning her spells. Of course, slinging fire and ice still came naturally to her, even after more than a few years retired from guardianship. No mistakes could happen when protecting Yuna, so she took great care in keeping the group disciplined and prepared. Before, Auron had been the senior guardian and taken that responsibility. Now, Yuna was experienced, but too timid and polite to take command. Tidus and Wakka were not leaders by any stretch of the imagination, and Paine was still often quiet and mysterious. _It has to be me._

However, the farewell to her son had been the largest burden on her. Lulu had eventually planned to journey Spira once more in her life with her family, to show Vidina the same path she took with Yuna seven years ago during the pilgrimage. Currently, though, he was just too young, and this was too dangerous. Lulu could not afford the distraction. It was a painful choice to make, but her friends and the fate of Spira required Lulu's attention once again. Vidina hadn't seemed unhappy about his parents' departure, albeit not knowing the gravity of their situation, so he was in good hands with her friends in Besaid. And Lulu was not without her loyal Wakka, of course.

Wakka was on the opposite end of the deck, near the stern, talking to Tidus and Paine. Probably about blitzball; Paine was sitting with them, but spaced out of their conversation. Wakka and Tidus were chuckling. When he noticed his wife was watching him, Wakka gave her a little salute—she had no idea why he had started doing that—and went back to his entertaining conversation.

The chill out on the sea was unnatural. The captain had said that far to the south some were saying the ocean was freezing. She'd only ever seen snow and ice in Gagazet, the highest point at the northern end of Spira. How could the ocean freeze that far south? _How incredible._ Perhaps there was much truth in Paine's story after all. The sudden mass of oddities was not coincidence. Lulu was convinced some strange magic was at play, but she hoped it was something misunderstood and hopefully quickly resolved. Yet, with politicians in Bevelle, nothing was ever quickly resolved.

The scout atop the rigging let out a shout. Lulu squinted in the direction he pointed. They were within sight of Spira's mainland, nearly sailing parallel to it. The plan was to dock at Luca late at night. For speed, they'd resisted docking at Kilika, and they couldn't sail directly to Bevelle due to the smear of darkness over the western waters—the storm Paine had told about.

The lookout had spotted something in the waves just north of the ship, a collection of bobbing shapes that at first appeared to be a cluster of large logs. No, they were much larger than that, and wider. Lulu stood, squinting, as the cluster drew close to the ship—it turned out to be five large jagged fins, each roughly the length of two rowboats. As they passed by, the fins came up alongside the ship and ran parallel to it. They rose out of the water vertically, towering over the hull of the ship and splashing everyone on the top deck.

A geosgaeno! Preparing for a fight, Lulu observed its behavior carefully; Tidus and Wakka leaned out over the rail, looking up while the sailors jabbered excitedly. Yuna and the crew members from below joined up to get a view of the creature. Geosgaeno were not only dangerous for obvious reasons, but often reclusive fiends that didn't show themselves on the surface of open water. Lulu expected that if it wanted to, it could grasp at their boat and tip it over with ease.

"Can't tell if you guys are bringing me good or bad luck," the captain yelled. "I don't like fiends, but why's it just sitting next to us? I'm not eager to take a gander at those claws!"

"What do we do?" Paine asked.

"We'll take care of this one before it does anything to the boat!" Wakka exclaimed, readying his World Champion blitzball.

"Wait!" Lulu replied. "Its acting strange—we need to see what it does first." Waters hid most of the monster's body from view, all they saw was a shadow of a gargantuan fiend lurking the depths.

"It will tip us over first, thats what!" Tidus shouted.

"Look!" Paine said, pointing to the ship's stern.

The fiend's immense claw rose to the surface and rushed through the water behind them. It made contact with the rear end of the hull and there was a great shake, causing everyone not holding on to a rail to lose their footing. Their ship picked up great speed then, absorbing the force from the claw's massive strength. The geosgaeno was _pushing_ the boat across the unfavorable current toward the mainland.

"Amazing," Lulu said as she held onto the railings. _What in Yevon's name is going on?_

"The big guy is helping us?" shouted Tidus. "I thought these guys only saw us as breakfast! Somebody help me figure this out here!"

Wakka's clutched tightly onto the railing, moving up to the middle of the deck trying to get a closer look at the main body of the fiend. "Man, here I thought I'd seen everything!"

The sea-beast didn't appear to be actively hostile but it was so odd that Lulu still found herself trembling, awestruck by the experience. This fiend was doing everything it was _not_ expected to do.

Yuna, still without her sea-legs, clawed and stumbled her way across the wetness of the deck to a spot halfway between Lulu and Tidus and peered over the railing into the shimmering blue water's surface. Everyone was rather confused or unsettled, but Yuna stopped stumbling then and watched the creature with a serene, studious gaze. And then she started singing.

She stood confidently on _top_ of the rail, which caused Lulu to gasp. While she and Tidus both reached right away to pull her down to safety, Yuna pulled her arms away and remained standing.

Yuna's serenade was hypnotizing—she was humming her version of the hymn of the fayth, and her voice seemed suddenly ancient and powerful. She extended her palms out over the ocean, watching the massive creature beside them pushing them along with grace.

Tidus raised an eyebrow at her, as if to show this was something he'd never seen Yuna ever do. Wakka and Paine watched with similar astonishment, and Lulu focused on Yuna intently. Yuna hadn't chanted the hymn in seven years, yet still she carried the harmony with great confidence and grace.

When Yuna was finished with the hymn, Tidus wrapped his arms around her to reign her back in to safety and they collapsed together. The boat slowed, and the fiend emitted a deep, loud bellow underwater. The claw and the fins withdrew under the surface with massive splashes, and the ship was in sight of Luca, perfectly on course to dock.

Lulu peered out over the water right away. _Where is the beast? Where did it go?_

Yuna picked herself up and shook the saltwater off of her long hair, splashing her guardians around her, though everyone was already soaked and cold. The crewman all around them gave her applause, looking at one another and mumbling, not sure what they had just witnessed. Lulu felt the same—she wasn't sure what she just saw, but whatever Yuna did was beautiful, and powerful. "High summoner Yuna!" They clamoured and clapped. "This is the power that saved Spira!"

"That was amazing," Paine said.

With her wrists crossed at her waist Yuna looked around at everyone solemnly—almost apologetically. Her face and hair still dripping wet, Tidus' took her hand suddenly. They parted the crewman as he led her down the hatch to the middle deck toward their cabin.

Wakka shrugged and Paine shook her head when Lulu looked at them. There seemed to be much more Yuna was hiding from them, and too many strange things were happening at once to be accidental. _I will get to the bottom of things, no matter how long it takes._

The port at Luca was now directly in front of them.


	5. 5 - Paine

Luca, City of Blitzball, was not a place Paine had ever planned on visiting soon. Though she traveled much in her line of work, she'd expected to stay on the western regions of Spira, safely meandering about in Al Bhed lands.

Yet, events never happened according to plan, another guarantee in her line of work. The more things you planned, the more things there were to go wrong.

She found herself breathless, clutching the brooch on her chest as the captain steered the ship into the bay. Her coat rippled in the ocean wind and she could smell the seagulls. The glass dome of the blitzball stadium in the middle of the bay was enormous—larger than when she'd seen it last. Blitzball had become a booming industry now, and had to accomodate for its massive surge in fans. Would Tidus and the others be eager to be back so soon, perhaps?

There were bright colors painted all around the base of the dome, and glass spheres of varying colors above the tunnel of each dock into the stadium. Paine saw a violet, blue, and a yellow as they passed by it from a distance. She had never been much of a blitzball fan, but suddenly she wanted to enter just to see the view from the inside again, to see how different it looked after renovations. _Breathtaking!_

Unlike the seas in the storm, the water in the Luca Bay was crystal clear turquoise—so clean, that Paine could see to the seafloor and every fish from the deck of the boat. Though she knew it was an illusion, it looked like she could reach the seafloor if she were to dip her hand in the water. Knowing how many showed up to the blitzball championships every year, it had to be no easy feat to keep the water unpolluted. How many thousands of people lived here, and how many tens of thousands of people visited every year? She shivered in the breeze, suddenly excited.

 _Back to the task at hand,_ Paine thought, forcing herself to be more serious. _Find Gippal again and help Yuna to stop another disaster—assuming it wasn't actually the return of Sin._

"We'll be docking in a moment," Lulu said behind her. "I'm sure Chairman Baralai isn't still here, but since the tournament ended not long ago, we shouldn't leave until we find out if one of the Spiran Council members may have remained."

 _Chairman Baralai. Still sounds so strange._ Paine nodded calmly, still clutching at her cloak to keep its frills from flying about. In this city, there were people _everywhere._ Luca was the hub city—a large, beautiful and industrially strong city—it could have been its own independent state. It had docks all around the bay open to all ships that passed, welcoming tourists of all walks of life, asking no questions of business or status. People flocked here.

They had long passed the massive stadium when the longshoreman pulled them into a rare empty space on a crowded dock. Paine could hear the bustling of people from the boat—there hadn't been nearly that many people living here last time. Many of the people she saw from her place on the boat were exotic. The citizens of Spira came in all colors, shapes and sizes, from the common folks and the tall and broad Guado, to short and limber blue Hypellos. Golden hair and goggles would mark an Al Bhed, whom she'd lived among in her recent years. However, most apparent was that she'd rarely seen so many Ronso as she noticed working the docks, the tall, horned furry blue figures carrying cargo on their backs. _I hate to say it, but they can handle the hard labor more efficiently than anyone else._

"Lady Yuna!" a dockworker yelled, rushing up the gangplank before they were even set to disembark. The man pushed crowds aside as he made his way onto their ship. "Would this be the boat carrying the High Summoner Yuna?"

"Tough guy over here, ya?" Wakka shook his fist at him, announcing his presence.

"I wasn't aware Yuna announced she went anywhere," Lulu said commandingly, stopping the worker in his tracks. "So how could you claim to think the high summoner is with us?"

"Gippal ghufc!" he replied, throwing his hands in the air. "Ed ec ra fru fyhdc du caa ran."

Paine stepped in. "Oui'na hud naymmo y tulgfungan yna oui?" _You're not really a dockworker, are you?_

"Gippal haatc du caa Myto Yuna! Oui saad yd drec mulydeuh duhekrd," the man said, and handed Paine a note. He pointed at it firmly, reassuring its importance. "Be there tonight," he said before taking off and disappearing into the crowd off the boat. Paine was left scratching her head.

"I never did study those Al Bhed primers," Wakka said. "But he sure didn't look like an Al Bhed."

"He wants us to meet Gippal tonight," Paine said, trying to piece events together. "But I didn't think he'd be here. Why the undercover act?"

Lulu replied quickly. "He understands the need to keep Yuna at a low profile. The sooner we leave Luca the better."

"Or he also needs to be at a low profile for some reason," Paine shook her head slightly. She tried not to grow anxious. Gippal was a guy who could not stay away from trouble even when he tried.

"We should leave tonight," Lulu said and Wakka nodded beside her. "The other two will only draw attention."

"Good call. Can't imagine what the world will think when they see the high summoner who saved Spira twice come out of hiding. Its a problem we don't need now."

* * *

At the last light of sunset, Paine finally stepped off the ship into the waning activity of the dockworkers. Wakka and Lulu were sitting at the dock's edge, watching over the sea. Tidus and Yuna were still in their cabin—negotiating a price with the captain to keep their arrival a secret—steeply discounted, not just out of reverence for Yuna, but also because of the captain's personal investments in the Besaid Aurochs.

Paine sat beside Lulu and Wakka and watched the minnows dash about in darkening water.

"Tell me, Paine," Lulu said bluntly. "Your relationship with Gippal is more than professional, isn't it?"

Paine hesitated. Wakka watched them both silently, now with piqued interest.

"You pursued Yuna to help him, it seems," Lulu continued. "You did much for him. That is laudable. But if you want to become a guardian, Yuna's need for you comes above all else. You need to ultimately decide which of them to fight for."

Paine didn't respond immediately. The words seemed to sink in and hit her hard. Lulu was wiser than others cared to admit.

She turned away from Lulu and Wakka, leaning against the railing. "You're right. I'd make a poor guardian."

"What?" Wakka said loudly. "Of course not!"

"Now I didn't say that," Lulu said.

"I've only just arrived and been with you a few days. You guys have been together since Yuna's pilgrimage. Tell me truthfully, Lulu. When you look at me, do you wish you saw Auron instead?"

"Of course I do," Lulu said.

Paine's expression darkened.

Lulu laid a hand on Paine's shoulder. "I'd be a poor friend if I didn't wish Auron was still with us. He was not only wise, but he lived and fought for what was right and honorable in his heart. He lived fulfilling promises to his friends, and Spira failed him. He could be, perhaps the greatest man I've ever fought beside."

"Hey!" said Wakka.

Lulu ignored her husband. "But just because we all loved Auron doesn't mean we think you don't have it in you. Spira could have collapsed again when Vegnagun was powered, but _you_ were there with Yuna while everyone else bickered amongst themselves. Thats what guardians do."

Paine nodded slowly. "I assume Yuna has told you some stories."

Lulu chuckled, for the first time Paine had seen it. "She hasn't, actually."

Paine remembered those days with the Gullwings—and her own arguments with Rikku and Yuna. _So carefree back then. I really hope Rikku is alive out there somewhere. If only these people knew what was brewing in the west! Vegnagun had the political parties at each other's throats. It wouldn't take a lot to shatter the peace and send Spira into a panic._

That was troubling, but it made Paine realize something. In Besaid, Tidus had been right: Baralai and the Council would never respond agreeably toward a conflict that concerned Sin. _What are we doing?_

"You sound like more like Auron, if anything," Paine said, turning back to look at the sunset. "I don't think I want to be like him. I'm just... me."

"You'll have to decide soon," Lulu said.

Yuna hesitantly stepped down from the ship's gangplank and onto the dock. Her boots stepped softly on the hard surface, and Tidus followed her. The pair of them were enveloped in white hooded cloaks, and positioned themselves inside a walking triangle formed by Wakka, Lulu and Paine on all sides so that no one on the streets would have a chance at getting a look or approaching them.

"Everyone, lets go," Yuna said quietly, so that no one would overhear her. Still, she would be the hardest of all to recognize—her frizzled, waist-length hair rendered her unrecognizable from her past self. It wasn't only her looks—this Yuna was much different. She was always somber, and rarely spoke—and had just conjured up some ancient, powerful magic with her song out at sea.

There were few lights as Lulu, who knew the city routes best, tried lead them to the location marked on the map sheet. Paine liked to remain cloaked in shadow, in her formfitting leather armor beneath her tattered cloak. She didn't fashion her silver hair to stand up like she used to, instead she let it fall like most of the other Spiran women. It wasn't practical for a fight, but she didn't draw attention to herself, and was perfect for roaming night streets incognito.

Paine occasionally doubled back, watched rooftops and observed pedestrians on their way to be certain they weren't being tailed.

They walked through Lower Luca quietly, where a group of men in brown vests sat chatting in Al Bhed and tinkering with firearms. Wisps of smoke rose between their fingers, accompanied by a faint crackling sound. This neighborhood was dark, but the group remained silent, following Lulu. They came to the side of what looked like a gambling den from colorful neon lights and Al Bhed text. Lulu knocked where a goggled man gazed at them through a barred window at the door. Lulu handed the man the map sheet, and a moment later, they were inside.

Inside, the music hit them first—pounding at their ears hard and fast. While the rest of Spira limited themselves to the tradition of old instruments, the Al Bhed were the first to use machina to make music. At least, they called it that; the pounding beats and wild chanting was not anything Paine would ever enjoy listening to. The circular building had a bar in the center, serving a wide variety of colored drinks. The barmaids all wore goggles, dressed in skimpy violet garb with scarves and visible underwear, something the Al Bhed found extremely provocative. _Can't believe Rikku used to dress like that._

Around the perimeter, various games were in progress. None of them were card or dice games, or anything juvenile like sphere break. Paine had lived with Gippal and among the Al Bhed long enough to know all about their games—most involved pitting personal machina creations against one another, like trigger catch. A game of trigger catch always ended up with someone losing a finger.

Paine always wondered why Al Bhed placed value in such dangerous games but it was deeply steeped into their culture. Even here, in an upscale city like Luca, such games were allowed to be held. Seven years ago, a place like this abound with machina simply wouldn't exist. It also seemed like gambling restrictions were lightened since the Al Bhed got their spot in the Council. It sure looked like it was making money.

The group walked around for a moment, unsure of where to go next. "I assume he knows where we are," Lulu said impatiently. "And that we haven't just run Yuna into a trap."

"I wouldn't worry," Tidus said. "The Al Bhed love Yuna. And we weren't followed."

Someone rested a hand on Paine's shoulder from the crowd behind her. Yuna could see who it was and smiled. Paine turned quickly and saw the spectacled friendly face of Nooj in the colorful strobe lights. "Hello there," he said smoothly.

"Nooj!" Paine said. "Unbelievable!" She shook his free hand, but not too hard, he was still limping over his walking stick. He looked hardly different than before, his demeanor cool and that lock of hair still twirling out of his head like a lightning bolt.

"Its good to see you!" Yuna said. "But why a place like this?"

"We thought you were dead," Paine said. "How?"

"Thats what Baralai thinks too," Nooj said calmly. They could barely hear him over the den's music berating their ears. "Follow me, we can talk."


	6. 6 - Tidus

Leaning over his walking stick, Nooj took them to a corner table in a lounge in the back room and had an Al Bhed serving maid shut the door behind them. Nooj had chosen the spot not only to mitigate the music and rabble of the bar but also to keep safe from prying eyes and ears. Nobody could get close enough to overhear without coming through the door. When the maid had left and the party of six had all been seated, he said softly, "Yuna, Paine, how have you been?"

Tidus looked at Yuna beside him, but she was frowning at Nooj as if it were him that was summoning Sin. Yuna didn't want to speak. She got that way when she was wrought in heavy thought, everyone understood. Tidus held her hand to comfort her. She looked at Tidus and nodded, wanting him to speak more clearly for her. This Nooj was a man she apparently trusted. Tidus took a deep breath. "Yeah, well, how do you think she's been?"

Tidus noticed that Paine was the only one who hadn't sat down yet. She pounded the table with her fist and grabbed Nooj by the shirt collar. "Where is Gippal, damn it?!" she demanded.

"He'll be here shortly," Nooj remained calm. "Clearly you miss him very much. We're trying to not be seen together, you know."

"Why are you still alive? Why did you have me think you were dead?" Paine stammered. She was trying to suppress sadness behind her voice but it wasn't working. "You couldn't trust us?!"

"Understandably this is a shock to you," Nooj smiled. "But it was necessary, you know. If you'd been out of Al Bhed territory in the last year you'd know why."

"Gippal told me you were dead, and I... I..."

"Its alright. Please, sit down," Nooj tried to comfort her by taking her hand, but she refused him and stood in shadow by the door instead. "Okay, Paine, tell me what happened."

Paine kept the story simple, explaining to Nooj about her expedition with Gippal. It had just been the two of them investigating remote areas of salvage around Baaj, when her airship crashed in an unnatural storm and she had fought off monsters in the wreckage, and kept Gippal alive waiting for their rescue. She purposefully prevented mentioning Sin. For Yuna's sake it was fair to keep that particular conjecture among themselves, but a part of Tidus didn't want to understate the danger of the possibility either.

Many people would try to use Yuna. Tidus did not trust this Nooj guy completely (anyone who fakes their death had to be untrustworthy) but he went along because Yuna had known him. A long time ago, Yuna had told Tidus all about the fight against Vegnagun, and that Nooj was friends with the party leaders Baralai and Gippal who led the fight to dismantle it. They had become separated after that, and Yuna heard Nooj had died recently after saving a village from fiends. Yet here he was. With calm, studious eyes, Nooj watched Paine intently tell her story of disaster. _Whats with this guy?_

"I just kept on until I reached Yuna," Paine explained. "That was the plan, originally. That I could seek her help," she shifted uncomfortably leaning on the wall. After their group had just discussed the need for secrecy it felt odd to have her talking so openly. "If we stay on route to Bevelle I figured we would find Gippal again sooner or later."

"If you could stay alive," Nooj said.

"Hey, whats that mean?" Tidus said. "Just tell us already! What is it you've been getting at?"

Nooj waved it off with his gloved hand. "You guys _really_ haven't left Besaid for much except blitzball, have you? The good Chairman Baralai has gone more than a little batty. Trying to put the temple's authority back into the state, at any cost. There's a ban on anyone using machina in Bevelle that just got approved during the blitzball tournament. Before that he began abducting and torturing any who spoke against him, though he certainly denies all of it."

Wakka did not even glance at anyone else. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, what? I didn't hear about any of this. Isn't that what the council was set up for?"

Nooj grunted. "If only! Call it a coup, or whatever you want, but the Council has been locked out by the New Yevoners. When they left to come here and host the blitzball games, our old friend Baralai stayed with those ragged zealots of his to set up base. I don't imagine Bevelle is a place you want to go right now."

 _Abducting people._ Tidus and Yuna looked at each other worriedly, echoing each other's thoughts. _And Rikku has disappeared._ Tidus hesitated, then asked, "What does that mean for Yuna?"

Nooj hesitated too, and finally shook his head. "If he can't use her to his advantage she is a considerable threat. Likely he will subdue her influence any way he can. No telling. Maybe in a cell, maybe _worse." Sounds like Seymour all over again. The more things change, the more they stay the same._

"That can't be Baralai," Paine said. "Baralai is cool, and gentle. He seemed a little misguided at times, sure, but he was always a kind soul."

Nooj sighed. "He's been really different in the last two years since he become a summoner himself. He dreams things, what's happened, what's going to happen. They say he can cut right through what a man wants to hide. Whatever you are going to do, I wouldn't risk going to Bevelle."

"Arisean summoning," Yuna spoke up. Everyone looked at her now curiously—even Lulu. Tidus thought Lulu knew everything.

"What?" Nooj said.

"In my free time I've been studying them a little bit," Yuna admitted, realizing she may have said too much. "There isn't much record left these days. But the Ariseans summoning involved using minds and dreams."  
"Well, no Baralai then," Tidus concluded. Wakka nodded vigorously.

"Politics is a swamp full of snakes," Lulu said. "We would do well to bypass them completely." _Lulu always did know how to say things exactly on point._

"Where is—" Paine began, but Nooj grimaced suddenly, his cane creaking under his bulk as he suddenly stood.

The maid was in the doorway, motioning for Nooj to come, then vanished back into the noise of the bar.

"Good girl, that one," Nooj sighed. "She's my eyes and ears in this place as long as the gil is good. Knows every regular in Luca and lets me know when anyone comes poking. Speaking of which it probably means I need to be going."

"Where is Gippal?" Paine angrily clutched onto his shirt again and glared at him. "You're not getting out of here before I see him."

The door opened from behind Paine. A lanky blonde Al Bhed in a dark vest with an eyepatch over his right eye stepped through slowly, closing it behind him. Paine turned around, and he smiled at her. "Hey there, Dr. P."

Paine rushed to him, and at first grasped his hand, but they tightly hugged one another immediately. "Gippal," she laughed under some tears, wrapped closely in his embrace. "You idiot, you're not dead yet." Unable to contain herself she pressed her mouth against his.

The whole group smiled seeing them reunite—even Lulu. Yuna clutched Tidus' hand tightly, for it seemed to brighten her mood.

"Take it easy on old Nooj," Gippal said, breaking away and straightening Paine's short hair. "It wasn't easy making sure you guys got here."

"How did you know we were here?"

"When the _SS Winno_ comes off course back to Luca immediately after going to Besaid it could only mean one thing," he walked toward Yuna and Tidus, smiling at Yuna. He extended his hand, and Yuna shook it. "Spira's greatest savior, former high summoner Yuna. Wish it could be better circumstances."

"She's just Yuna now," Tidus said defensively. When Gippal stepped beside them, he became much taller and seemed to be more well-built than Tidus was.

"Its okay," Yuna answered, softening her gaze. "But were all of these undercover charades really necessary?"

"More than you know," Nooj said. "Now that you have safely reunited, you would be safer with me gone."

Lulu scolded him, shaking her head suspiciously. "Yes, it was quite safe to approach us by calling out Yuna's name in public. Why are you faking your death anyway, at odds with Baralai again? You're not exactly fooling many with the way you look and move about."

Nooj sighed. "In hindsight it wasn't the smartest move. I really should be more strict when I make requests of these guys. Look, I can't say much good about the Al Bhed around here but between them and the Yevoners there isn't much love, so no one would say anything if they saw you here. I can't stay to tell you much about where I've been, but I'll find you if you need me." His cane scraped against the floor as he pressed it forward and looked back at the group one last time. "It was good to see you again, Paine. And Lady Yuna. Any friends of yours are friends of mine." He exited.

 _I'll find you if you need me,_ Tidus pondered Nooj's parting words. It made no sense.

"You should stay with us," Yuna said to Gippal. "You don't look well."

"I'll be fine," Gippal said. He looked back, checking to make certain they were alone, and sat down, heaving a sigh. He shifted his hand to the inside of his vest, shuffling through its pockets, and withdrew a small plated blue sphere which he lay on the table. Gippal propped his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands as the group watched him curiously. "Play it."

Paine stood with a boot against the door to ensure no one could surprise them. Tidus picked up the device. Spheres were small, but heavy and solid, near impossible to destroy. Taking a deep breath, he flexed his hand and clicked it open, half-expecting an image of his old man to pop out from within.

The entire room gathered to inspect the muddied holographic video constructed on the table.

The recording was pitch black at first, and the sound was only static. Tidus frowned, not sure what they were supposed to be seeing; then, a light faintly flickered in the center and a high-pitched pleading, gagged voice became gradually clearer through the static in the audio. In the light, Tidus could barely distinguish the red scarf and long, silky blonde hair of the subject in the recording, though it was dark and blurred.

From across the room Paine's eyes widened with horror and she ran to look closer. "Rikku!"

"Oh no," Yuna said.

"Shit," Tidus said, seeing everyone panic. Lulu closed her eyes and shook her head.

After a minute of nothing but Rikku's gagged pleading, someone unseen spoke over her in the recording. "You will welcome a new blooming of Yevon." It was a man's voice, slow, calm and confident. "Please, do whats right. Don't fight it." It cut out abruptly.

"Baralai," Yuna said angrily.

"Damn him!" Paine slammed a fist on the table.

"Something is going very wrong in Spira, Yuna," Gippal said sadly. "This was sent to Cid months back. He showed me while we met a few days ago. No sign of Rikku at all."

"Damn it!" Wakka said. "How can he think to do this?"

"A move to intimidate the Al Bhed," Lulu said. "And likely the other Council members to surrender."

"Something's going on," Gippal repeated. "Something bigger than us. Bigger than Nooj. Something to do with Baralai's mad mood swing. Have you heard of the twisted things everyone is saying about him? And the Al Bhed are saying that Sin is growing..."

"You don't know that its Sin!" Yuna exclaimed, finding it difficult to get out the right words.

"We have to stop this, Yuna," Wakka said. "Sin or not, we have to find Rikku."

"Yuna, we need you," Paine grasped Yuna's hands. "Rikku needs our help. I already didn't want to burden you with this, but we have to do something now."

"I agree," Lulu said. "This can't be allowed to continue. But consider for a moment what we would be walking into."

Yuna closed her eyes. "We will have to take action immediately."

Tidus left his hands resting on Yuna's for a minute, to keep her calm and comforted. She didn't want to show it, but she was scared. They all were. Not scared of Baralai, but for Rikku, and anyone else who might have gotten blindsided by political schemes. And those tall city walls of Bevelle would not stop Sin, thats for sure. _Should we have told Nooj about that?_ But even if Nooj believed it, would he be as willing to help if he thought that he could use the information as leverage to gain favor with Baralai? What was he on the run from anyway? Was Rikku still alive? The thoughts weighed Tidus with stress. _I just want to protect Yuna from all of this, but it has to be this way any time she tries to do something good. We stayed out of the politics for so long and it seems to have gotten worse._

* * *

That night no one spoke as they went back to the docks to sleep. No one wanted to talk about what they had just seen.

Next to Tidus, Yuna sat on the edge of their bed as he lay naked and uncovered, with his arms behind his head. She would always be beautiful to him, but he had not expected her to grow more beautiful as she aged. In her nightgown she possessed a stately, mature beauty, as one might find in a portrait or statue of a mythical goddess. As she looked out the window to the moon, Tidus admired her silky, thick brown hair tumbling down past the middle of her back.

"I can't believe I'm sitting here doing nothing," Yuna said.

"There's nothing we could have done."

"We could have prevented this by standing up to it and not running away. The last time I spoke to Rikku was years ago, and we split apart on a stupid argument."

"Don't dwell on it, Yuna. Is going to be alright. Please, just rest for tonight. You could really use it."

She looked out the window and Tidus closed his eyes. After a time, Yuna said, "You're still much the same as when we met, you know."

"I'm exactly the same. I can't grow, so of course I'm the same."

"Thats not what I meant," Yuna turned to him. "I'm sorry. I mean I always feel like I could tell you anything, and you wouldn't judge me for it."

"Its okay," Tidus chuckled. "I know what you mean."

"I love you," she said, now angling her body on top of his. "No matter what comes between us I always have and I always will."

Tidus held Yuna closely, her long hair spilling over his body as she nestled into his grasp. "I won't let anything come between us. We're going to save Rikku."

They lay in silence for a time. "Say that you love me," Yuna said.

"What?"

She sat up. "Like this," she cleared her throat and yelled: "I love you!"

Tidus put his finger to her lips. "You'll wake everyone on the dock!"

Then, with even more fierceness Yuna shouted into the night again: "I love you!"

They were silent, waiting for the night to settle around the echoing tremor of her voice. A fiend of the sea bleated in the distance. Rain then started to finger the metal on the roof of their boat and waves splattered their window. Tidus lay in a shadow and watched her in the faint moonlight.

"I love you!" Tidus answered. She fell back into him and he looked out of the window at the stars. Yuna turned her head and followed his glance. A boat was towing cargo through the bay, lumbering through the water. The sailors working on its deck were yelling, and running around in the rain.

"They're awfully loud," Yuna said.

They heard the roar of the fiend again, a little louder now. Tidus stood up; something seemed wrong.

"Tidus?" Yuna said, her voice suddenly alarmed. "Should there be fiends in Luca's bay?"

Tidus froze. The lone boat in the bay with the loud sailors was now angling into the water on the far side—something was pulling it down, sinking it.

Something dark—something mind-numbingly enormous—rose out of the water with a familar ominous fin shape silhouetted against the moon. It appeared in the middle of the bay next to the blitzball stadium, filled with docked boats and unarmed maintenance workers, flooding the entrance tunnels and bleating its roar to the night sky.

Tidus clenched his fist and yelled hysterically. "Not again!"


End file.
